It is very well recognized, by both maintenance and design engineers in the railway industry, that in order to negotiate the curves encountered in a track structure, during train operation, a rotatable connection must be provided between the railway car body portion and the railway truck portion. This connection is usually accomplished, in a standard railway car, by use of a center plate member secured to the bottom of such car along the longitudinal centerline thereof and the bolster bowl disposed on the top of such railway truck. In an articulated coupling arrangement, however, used to connect adjacent ends of a pair of railway cars together in a substantially semipermanent manner, this rotatable connection is accomplished between the female connection member and the bolster bowl.
Lubrication of such rotatable connections is generally quite difficult to achieve and it is, also, even more difficult to maintain sufficient lubricant in place due to the very hostile environment encountered. For example, during operation of a train consist in a rain storm, moisture may cause the lubricant being used to be washed out of such bolster bowl prematurely. Lack of lubrication in this critical area can cause undue frictional wear on the car components, thus adding to the repair and maintenance cost. Additionally, and of even more concern to the railroad industry, such lack of lubrication, in the most severe cases, may even lead to derailments occurring. Obviously, this may lead to injury or damage to lading being carried by the railroad thereby adding significantly to their cost of doing business.